iPhone sold through Wal-Mart this month?

After rumors surfaced last week regarding a $99 iPhone sold through retail giant Wal-Mart, Bloomberg has apparently partially confirmed the speculation, citing "two store representatives saying the world's largest retailer will carry two models of the Web-surfing handset this month."

The store will reportedly start selling iPhones on December 15, just in time for the holidays. No mention of a $99 model was made, with store representatives allegedly confirming only 8GB and 16GB models and the standard $199 and $299 prices, respectively.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas.

[DaveB1980]

This news is kind of a bummer. Maybe it makes me sound like a snob, but it was nice having a phone not everyone had or could afford... Now everyone and their mother will be able to get one at $99. *sigh*

[Zaunto]

You are a snob.

Apple products are typically bought by snobs who want some exclusive product that they feel makes them special and places them above others. Making the iPhone available to the rest of us who live in the real world and aren't elitist snobs brings it to the mainstream where Apple products can bring change to a world that is being strangled by Microsoft. You may not care about things like that up on top of your mountain, but the rest of us do and if Apple does make any version of the iPhone available at Walmart for $99, I will go there and get one JUST because of elitist snobs like YOU.

[dcbubs]

You, and the 15 million other people with your iPhones, are so unique.

[Perry_Clease]

Troll

[Remo_Williams]

Yep, it does make you sound like a snob, or at least an uncreative shallow individual, which you aren't. Dave, you're better than this and you know it. Stop trying to be different like everyone, and be the best DaveB1980 you can be.

-R

[Denise_America]

I saw the first iPhone commercial starring Joe the Plumber; it was awesome...

[Jman974]

Being that I work for at&t this is more of an aggravation. Wal-mart ALWAYS screws up customer accounts. Then those annoying customers come into out stores to complain about at&t messing up their bill/service. No it was the non-trained people at Wal-mart. Apple is becoming money grubbing, point blank!

[technomechno]

finally ... someone tuning-in to pricing common sense
go $99

[Slotmech]

No one said you HAD to buy one (or that Apple had to price it so you could buy it).

[sting7k]

I didn't know it was money grubbing or bad for a captialist company to want to sell more of a product and make money. Seems like business to me, get over youselves. I didn't see so many people upset when the price of the Razr went from $450 to free (with contract).

Remember people, the iPod didn't blow up until Apple did away with the PC and Mac formatted ones and then started selling them at various retailers, including Wal Mart.

[codynews]

Helpful tip: Do NOT drop your iphone and break the glass. It's a pain in the a$$ to replace :) I just bought new glass+digitizer from ebay ($40) and replaced it last weekend. Took like 3 hours :(

[Vegaman_Dan]

While it sounds great to give someone an iPhone as a holiday gift, and even at $199 that sounds like a bargain, but how does it sound if you were to give someone a gift that costs $90 (after service fees, taxes, services fees on those taxes, etc which works out to average $90 for service plan) a month?

Here you go, mom- it's an iPhone! And it will only cost you $90 a month for the next two years. Hey, that's what your kids are for, right? Have a $2000 bill on your fixed income. You can afford that.

Giving cell phones as gifts doesn't work unless they already have a cell phone *AND* can afford the much higher service fees associated with data plans.

The $199 price is only the price of admission- stay for the show and you owe $2K.


And you know what, with all that said, if I could afford the data plan, I'd have one too.

[Slotmech]

Well, this applies to any smartphone... it's the data plan (like the printer ink or the razor blades) where the real (price gouging) money is made.

[larryennis18466]

My wife works for Wal-Mart, she confirmed it. She was trained in the product. Going on sale 12/15 for $199 and $299 with activation. If you work for Wal-Mart you will get a discount.

[Denise_America]

one Iphone for mom under the tree......99$

one two-year contract for service.....2000$

look on mom's face when she gets the bill.....priceless

[Slotmech]

Oh, jeez... another gaggle of Apple haters. Look, Apple is all about getting people to (a) be excited about their products that (b) they make a concerted effort to make easy to use and (c) stylish to look at. It's their stock in trade, and they're good at it. So, since there are lots of other choices out there, why hate on them? There is nothing stopping the other companies from competing with Apple's image and style except hard work and money. Just buy something else if you need it and / or like something better. Apple was a late player in the cell phone market and by no means have they taken it over. Look at it this way.. complaining about Apple selling iPhones is like complaining about Mercedes selling C-class sedans... there are cars with better mileage, and cars that go faster, and cars with most of if not all the same features for less, but having driven one.... if I could get one new for the same price as a Rabbit, I'd be right there. Until then, I'll just drive my Rabbit.

[Slotmech]

BTW, I do NOT have an iPhone. I have a Blackberry 8830 for work (a 7100i before that) and I like it enough that I'm considering upgrading my personal phone to one. My boss on the other hand likes his HTC Touch Diamond. My cousin has a Palm Centro, she's been a Palm geek for years. I do have a couple of Apple iPods though - a first-gen Shuffle (for jogging) and a 3rd-gen Nano (for everything else). So see, there's room for everyone in this market.